The 50-year-old had slipped a disc in his back that punctured a ligament and broke into two pieces.

"I was walking around saying I could handle it but it turns out I was in grave danger," he told The Age this week, in an exclusive interview to be published in EG tomorrow. "Those little bits that had broken off were starting to sever nerves in my spinal canal. I was losing the ability to walk."

Remarkably, just ten weeks after the operation, he was back on stage in Europe. More ambitiously, he has revealed his band is working on three new albums.

The first, which is likely to be released early next year, is being produced by Danger Mouse, the alias for American production ace Brian Burton (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz).

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"We have about 12 songs with him," Bono said. "At the moment that looks like the album we will put out next because it's just happening so easily."

The second album is what he calls a "club" record, that will feature Lady Gaga collaborator RedOne, Black Eyed Peas rapper Will.I.Am and French superstar David Guetta.

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"U2's remixes in the 1990s were a real treasure," he said. "So we wanted to make a club sounding record. We have a pile of songs."

Bono and guitarist The Edge are also attempting to sell their bandmates, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen jnr, the concept of a U2 album based on the 20 songs the two have written for a Spider-man musical that opens on Broadway next month.

"We haven't convinced the rest of the band to do that yet," he said. "Larry definitely has a raised eyebrow."

EG FRIDAY: Bono talks touring and his search for another radio hit. SATURDAY: Bono on Tony Blair and the implications of his life as rock's activist.